Bullseye doesn’t quite hit the mark as a brand new style of app

Bullseye By Polyphonic Spree bills itself as an “interactive music video,” a statement that conjures a number of different ideas. I was hoping for some sort of game that was timed to end alongside the song. Instead, the interactivity amounts to a lot of window dressing and not much more. But it might still be […]

Bullseye By Polyphonic Spree bills itself as an “interactive music video,” a statement that conjures a number of different ideas. I was hoping for some sort of game that was timed to end alongside the song. Instead, the interactivity amounts to a lot of window dressing and not much more. But it might still be a step in the right direction.

There isn’t much to the app itself. A small options menu lets you pick which version of the song you want to hear (acoustic or studio), and you’re off and running. The video mirrors the lyrics in the song, so there are some pretty impressive animated visuals of objects splitting apart and coming together, and a big tree with fireworks during the song’s closing moments. But the interactivity leaves a lot to be desired. Tapping certain objects makes them come to life — flowers bloom, plants grow, fireworks explode. But once you’ve seen this once, there isn’t anything to keep you coming back. This isn’t interactivity in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure book. It’s interactivity like rubbing a scratch ’n’ sniff sticker. It just isn’t interesting.

The idea of interactive music videos is a great one that could benefit the music industry tremendously, but this app falls short of that premise. It’s saved a bit, thanks to some unique visuals that feel right at home on the mobile platform. A video like this would look weird on the big screen, but on your iPhone it feels like an extension of a strange app game. That said, only drop the two bucks for Bullseye by Polyphonic Spree if you already love the song, because chances are you won’t be opening it often otherwise.

Dan Kricke has been playing with electronics and writing about them for years. He loved his Sega Dreamcast and now the PlayStation 3. On the iPhone, he's a fan of sports apps and anything that offers new music.